Book of Revelation Ch 15-22

Book of Revelation: Chapters 15-22

Chapter 15

The 7 *angels with the last troubles

v1 Then I saw another great surprise in *heaven. I saw 7 *angels with 7 troubles. They are the last troubles. And God will stop being angry when they have finished. v2 I saw what seemed to be a glass sea with fire in it. I also saw people who were standing at the edge of the glass sea. Those people had beaten the strange animal and its false god, and the number that means its name. They held *harps, to make music. God had given them these *harps. v3 And they sang the song of Moses, God’s servant, and the *Lamb’s song. They sang:

‘*Lord God with all authority,

what you do is great and powerful!

You are King of all countries at all times.

Everything that you do is completely fair and honest.

v4 Everyone will *serve and obey you, *Lord.

They will show how great your name is.

Only you are completely good and clean.

People from every country have seen what you do.

So they will come and *worship you.

You always do what is right.’

v5 After this I looked and God’s house in *heaven was open. That house is like God’s tent, where he lived among his people Israel. v6 The 7 *angels with the 7 troubles came out of God’s house. They were wearing clean clothes that were shining. And they had gold belts round the top half of their bodies. v7 Then one of the 4 *beings that were alive gave 7 gold cups to the 7 *angels. The cups were full because God was very angry. He is the God who will always be alive. v8 And God’s house became full of smoke because God is so great and so powerful. Nobody could go into God’s house until the 7 troubles finished. The *angels were bringing those last 7 troubles.

Chapter 16

The 7 cups with the 7 last troubles

v1 Then I heard someone speak to the 7 *angels. He was speaking loudly from God’s house in *heaven. ‘Go and pour out your 7 cups on the earth’, he said. ‘The cups are full because God is very angry.’

v2 The first *angel went and poured out his cup on the land. Very bad and painful places appeared on people’s skins because of what was in the *angel’s cup. These bad places appeared on everyone who had the strange animal’s mark on them. They appeared on everyone who *worshipped the animal’s false god.

v3 The second *angel poured out what was in his cup on the sea. So, the sea became like the blood of a dead person. And everything that was alive in the sea died.

v4 The next (third) *angel poured out what was in his cup on the water. He poured it on the rivers and on the places where water comes up from the ground. And all the water became blood. v5 Then I heard the *angel with authority for the waters say to God:

‘*Lord, you are alive now and you always have been alive.

You are completely good and clean.

You are right in everything that you decide.

v6 These people have caused trouble for your people and your *prophets.

They caused them to bleed and to die.

So you have given the people blood to drink.

That is what ought to happen to them.’

v7 Then I heard someone agree from the special table in front of God. They said:

‘Yes, *Lord God, you have all authority.

And you decide what is right and fair!’

v8 The next (fourth) *angel poured out what was in his cup on the sun. And God gave great power to the sun so that it burned people with its fire. v9 The strong heat burned people and it hurt them very much. Then they said very bad things against God, because he caused these troubles. But they refused to be sorry for the bad things that they had done. They refused to stop doing those bad things. They refused to say how great God is.

v10 The next (fifth) *angel poured out what was in his cup on the strange animal’s *throne. Everywhere that the strange animal ruled became completely dark. And people even bit their mouths because of their great pain. v11 They shouted bad words against the God of *heaven because of their pain and because their skins were hurting them. But they refused to be sorry for the bad things that they had done.

v12 The next (sixth) *angel poured out what was in his cup on the great Euphrates river. So the river became dry, to prepare a way. It was the way for the kings who come from the east. v13 Then I saw 3 bad *spirits like frogs. One bad *spirit came out of the big snake’s mouth. Another bad *spirit came out of the first strange animal’s mouth. And the other bad *spirit came out of the false *prophet’s (the second strange animal’s) mouth. v14 They are the *spirits of demons (bad *spirits from the *Devil). They also do things that surprise people. They go out to all the rulers in the whole world, to bring them together for the war. That war will happen on the great day of God, who has all authority.

v15 The *Lord says: ‘Listen! I will come secretly, like someone who robs. Everyone who goes on watching for me will be happy. You must keep your clothes with you all the time. Then you will not have to walk about without clothes. So you will not be ashamed in front of other people.’

v16 Then the bad *spirits brought the rulers together. They came to the place called Armageddon in the Hebrew language.

v17 The last (seventh) *angel poured out what was in his cup into the air. And someone spoke loudly from the *throne in God’s house. ‘It has finished’, he said. v18 There was a great storm, with bright lights and loud noises, and the ground moved very much. The ground has never moved so much during all the time that people have lived on the earth. v19 The powerful city broke into three parts. When the ground moved, it destroyed all the world’s cities. And God did not forget to *punish that powerful city Babylon. God was very angry with Babylon. It was like God had a cup of very bad *wine. Then he caused that city to drink his *wine. The people had to receive all the bad things that God did to them.

v20 He made every island go away. There were no more mountains anywhere. v21 Very big stones of ice fell from the sky upon the people. The weight of each stone was about 50 kilos. The stones of ice caused very much trouble. And the people shouted bad words against God because of the trouble that the ice caused for them.

Chapter 17

The woman on the red strange animal

v1 One of the 7 *angels who had the 7 cups came to me. ‘Come with me’, he said. ‘I will show you how God will *punish the powerful bad woman. She sits upon many rivers. She is bad like a woman who sells herself to men for sex. v2 The rulers of countries on earth have done bad things because of that woman also. They are just like men who have sex with bad women. The people who live on the earth have done bad things. They have learned to enjoy what is bad. They have copied that woman’s example. They are like drunks from the bad *wine that she gave them.’

v3 While God’s Spirit was causing me to dream, the *angel carried me away. He carried me to a country place where nobody lived. There I saw a woman who was sitting on a red strange animal. All over this strange animal, someone had written names that were not polite to God. The animal had 7 heads and 10 *horns. v4 The woman was wearing *purple and red clothes. She also shone with the gold, valuable stones and *pearls that were all over her. She held a gold cup in her hand. The cup was full of the results of the very bad and dirty things that she had done. v5 Someone had written this secret name on the front of her head:

Powerful Babylon

Mother of all the bad women

and mother of everything that is bad on the earth.

v6 I saw that the woman was a drunk. She was like someone who had drunk the blood of God’s people. She had killed God’s people, because they had told other people about Jesus. When I saw her, I was very surprised. v7 Then the *angel spoke to me. ‘Why does she surprise you?’ he said. ‘I will explain the secret of the woman to you, and the secret of the strange animal that she rides. The strange animal that you saw has 7 heads and 10 *horns. v8 This animal was once alive, but it is not alive now. Soon it will come up out of the deep hole again and God will destroy it completely. This will surprise many people who live on the earth. They know that the animal was alive. And they know that it is not alive now. So, it will really surprise them when it appears again. They are the people whose names are not in God’s book. That book says who will live with God always. God wrote people’s names down in his book before he made the world.

v9 Here is a problem that you need to think about carefully. The animal’s 7 heads are like a picture of 7 hills where the woman sits. v10 They are also like a picture of 7 kings. Five of these kings have stopped ruling. They are dead and another king is ruling now. The last king has not yet come. When he does come, he must rule only for a short time. v11 The strange animal is another (eighth) king that belongs to this group of 7 kings. The animal was alive, but it is not alive now. And God will destroy it completely.

v12 The 10 *horns that you saw are like a picture of 10 kings. They have not yet received anywhere to rule. But they will receive authority as kings for one hour with the strange animal. v13 They all have the same purpose. They will give their authority to the strange animal and they will make him strong. v14 Together they will fight a war against the *Lamb. But the *Lamb will beat them because he is the most powerful *Lord. He is the King who rules over all other kings. And the people who go on believing him will be with him. He has asked them to follow him. He has chosen them.’

v15 Then the *angel spoke to me again. ‘You saw that the bad woman was sitting on many rivers’, he said. ‘Those rivers are like a picture of many countries and crowds of people from different family groups and languages. v16 The strange animal and the 10 *horns that you saw will *hate the bad woman. They will destroy her and they will take away her clothes. They will eat the meat on her body. Then they will burn what remains of her with fire. v17 God has given them their thoughts and he has caused them to agree. So, they will do what he wants. They will give all their authority as kings to the strange animal. The animal will continue to rule until everything has happened. Everything that God has said will certainly happen. v18 The woman that you saw is like a picture of the powerful city. That city rules the rulers on the earth.’

Chapter 18

The end of Babylon

v1 After these things I saw another *angel who was coming down from *heaven. He had great authority. The bright light that shone from him made the whole world bright. v2 He shouted with a strong voice:

‘It is the end!

It is the end for powerful Babylon!

She has become a place where bad *spirits live.

She has become a home for every bad and dirty *spirit.

She is a home for every bad bird.

God *hates those birds because they are not clean.

v3 The people of all countries have done very wrong things because of that city.

They have copied her people, like those who have drunk the same strong *wine.

The rulers on the earth did wrong things because of her.

They were like those who have sex with other people.

They forget their husband or their wife.

And the people on earth who buy and sell things have become rich.

They have become rich because she bought so many expensive things from them.’

v4 Then I heard God speak from *heaven. He said:

‘My people, come out of Babylon.

Then you will be separate from all the bad things that the people of that city have done.

Then you will not receive any of their troubles.

v5 They have done so many bad things,

so many that they have reached as high as *heaven.

And I have not forgotten what they have done wrong.

v6 I will give her people what they ought to receive.

I will give it to her people because of the trouble that they have given.

I will *punish them twice as badly as the bad things that they have done.

Her people caused trouble, like someone who mixes a bad drink for other people.

I will mix twice as much of a bad drink like that and I will give it to her people.

v7 I will give her people as much pain as the pleasure that they gave to themselves.

I will cause her people to be as sad as they caused themselves to be rich and happy.

Her people say to themselves:

“Our city sits here like a queen.

We will never be sad like a woman whose husband has died.”

v8 But her people’s troubles will come all together in one day.

They will be sad.

They will have no food.

And death will come to them.

Fire will destroy the city,

because I, the *Lord God, am strong.

And I decide what is fair for everyone.’

v9 The rulers on the earth will weep and they will be sad for the city. They will see the smoke while the city burns. They will cry because they did many bad things there. They enjoyed being rich in the city and forgetting God. v10 They will stand a long way from the city because they will be afraid. They will think that God will *punish them too. And they will shout:

‘It is bad! It is very bad for you!

You are the powerful, strong city that we called Babylon!

In one hour God has *punished you!’

v11 The people on the earth who sell things will weep for the city also. They will be sad because nobody will buy their things any more. v12 The things that they sold included:

Gold and other valuable metals

Valuable stones and *pearls

Expensive cloth, including red and *purple cloth

Expensive wood

Many different things that people had made out of *horns, and out of expensive wood, metals and stone

v13 Different materials that have a nice smell

*Wine, *olive oil, flour and wheat (the seeds that people make flour from)

Cows, sheep, horses and *carts

Human slaves

v14 The people who sold things will weep for the city. ‘You have lost all the good things that you wanted so much’, they will say. ‘You have lost all those expensive and valuable things, and you will never have them again.’

v15 The people who sold these things became rich because of the city. They will stand a long way from the city because they will be afraid. They will think that God will *punish them too. So they will weep and be sad. v16 They will shout:

‘It is bad! It is very bad for you, powerful city!

You wore beautiful *purple and red clothes.

You shone with gold, valuable stones and *pearls.

v17 But in one hour God has destroyed all those things,

all the things that caused you to be so rich.’

All the people from the sea will stand a long way from the city. They include every ship’s captain, everyone who travels on ships, and all the sailors. They also include all other people who get their money because they work at sea.

v18 They will see the smoke while the city burns. Then they will shout: ‘There was no other city like this powerful city!’ v19 They will throw dirt from the ground on their heads because they are so sad. They will weep and they will shout:

‘It is bad! It is bad for the powerful city!

Everyone who had ships on the sea became rich.

They were rich because she was so rich.

But in one hour God has destroyed her.’

v20 You who live in *heaven, be happy!

Be happy because God has destroyed Babylon!

Be happy, God’s people and his special workers and *prophets!

God has *punished the city because of what she did to you.

v21 Then a strong *angel lifted a very big, round stone. People use stones like that to make flour. The *angel spoke while he threw the stone into the sea:

‘God will throw you down, powerful Babylon city.

He will throw you down strongly, as I am throwing down this stone.

Nobody will ever see you again.

v22 Nobody will ever hear music in your streets again.

Nobody will hear the sound of people who are singing.

There will be nobody making music with *harps, *trumpets and other *instruments.

There will be no workers, nobody doing any work.

Nobody will make flour ever again.

So nobody can hear the sound of the stones that break seeds for the flour.

v23 No light from people’s homes will ever shine in your streets again.

Nobody will ever hear the sound of men’s and women’s voices at their marriages again.

Your people who sold things were the most powerful people on the earth.

You caused all the countries to believe wrong things.

They believed what is false because of your *magic.

v24 God *punished you, Babylon, because he saw the blood of his people in your streets.

Your people killed God’s people and his *prophets.

The blood of everyone on earth that other people have killed was in your streets!’

Chapter 19

The crowd in *heaven thanks God

v1 After these things I heard a sound like a very big crowd in *heaven. They were shouting:

‘How great our God is!

He saves people.

He is really great and powerful.

He has all authority.

v2 Everything that he decides is right and fair.

He has decided to *punish the city, that powerful bad woman.

She made many people on the earth bad because of the bad things that she did.

She caused people to *worship her false gods,

like a bad woman who causes people to have sex with her.

God has *punished her because she killed his servants.’

v3 Then they shouted again:

‘How great God is!

The smoke from the fire that burns her will continue to go up always.’

v4 The 24 leaders and the 4 *beings that were alive threw themselves down. And they *worshipped God, who was sitting on the *throne. They spoke with loud voices. ‘It is true!’ they said. God is very great!’

The *Lamb’s marriage

v5 Then someone spoke from the *throne. They said:

‘All of you, who are God’s servants,

say how great our God is!

All of you who *serve God and obey him must thank him.

You must thank him, whether you are powerful people or not.’

v6 Again I heard a sound like a very big crowd, and they were shouting. The sound was like the noise of many rivers that were moving very fast. It was like loud noises in a storm. They shouted:

‘How great God is!

Our *Lord God has all authority and he rules!

v7 We will be very happy with him.

We will say how great he is!

The time for the *Lamb’s marriage has come

and his wife has prepared herself.

v8 God has given her bright, clean clothes to wear.’

These clothes are like a picture of the good things that God’s people have done.

v9 Then the *angel spoke to me. He said, ‘Write down these words: “The people that God chooses will be very happy! He will ask them to come to the *Lamb’s special marriage meal.” This is a true message from God.’

v10 Then I bent down at his feet to *worship him. ‘You must not do that!’ he said to me. ‘I am God’s servant, the same as you are. I am a servant, like all of you who go on believing Jesus. You are like brothers because you believe him. *Worship God! Those who speak for Jesus know what to say because of his Spirit. His Spirit tells them what to say.’

The great king on a white horse

v11 Then I saw *heaven open, and there was a white horse. Someone was riding the horse. His name was this: ‘He Always Obeys God and He is Completely Honest’. He is always right when he decides things. He is always fair. He is right when he fights a war. v12 His eyes burned like fires and many *crowns were on his head. He had a name on him, but nobody knows that name except himself. v13 He was wearing clothes with blood all over them. His other name is: ‘The Word of God’.

v14 The armies in *heaven were following him. They were riding white horses and they were wearing clean, white clothes. v15 A sharp *sword was coming out of his mouth. He will beat all the countries with this *sword. Then he will rule them with an iron stick so that they will obey him. He will *punish them like someone who walks on grapes to make *wine. This shows that God is very angry. God has all authority, and he will *punish people. v16 This king had a name on his clothes and high on his leg. The name is: ‘The King who Rules over All Other Kings; the Most Powerful *Lord’.

v17 Then I saw an *angel who was standing in the sun. He shouted loudly to all the birds that were flying high in the sky. ‘Come!’ he shouted. ‘Come together to God’s big meal. v18 There you will eat the meat from the dead bodies. They will be the bodies of rulers, captains of armies and strong men. There will be bodies of horses and those who ride them. You can eat all the dead people, whether they are slaves or free people. There will be powerful people and those who are not powerful.’

v19 Then I saw the first strange animal and the rulers of the earth and their armies all together. They had come together to fight a war. They fought against the person who rode the horse, and his army. v20 But the person on the horse and his army beat them. He and his army took and held the strange animal and the false *prophet. That same false *prophet who, on behalf of the strange animal, had done things that surprised people. The false *prophet had caused people to believe him. He had told them what is not true. People believed him because of the things that he did. These were the same people who had the strange animal’s mark on them. They *worshipped his false god. The person on the horse threw the strange animal and the false *prophet into the lake alive. It was the lake of fire that burns with *sulphur. v21 The person who rode the horse killed all his enemies’ armies. He killed them with the *sword that came out of his mouth. And all the birds ate the meat from the dead bodies until they were completely full.

Chapter 20

The 1000 years

v1 Then I saw an *angel who was coming down from *heaven. He held the key to the deep hole that has no end. In his hand, he also held a big metal *chain. v2-3 He held the big red animal, that same old snake who is called the *Devil and *Satan. And he tied the snake up with the *chain. Then he threw the snake into the deep hole. He closed the door to the deep hole, and he locked it over the snake. The snake must stay in the hole for 1000 years. During that time, he could not continue to work. He could not cause the people everywhere to believe false things. He could not work again until the 1000 years have passed. After that, the snake must be free for a short time.

v4 Then I saw some *thrones. The people who were sitting on the *thrones had received authority. They had authority to decide what is fair. I also saw the *spirits of those people who had died for Jesus. People had killed them because they had spoken to other people about Jesus. They had spoken God’s messages, so other people had cut off their heads. The people who had died had not *worshipped the strange animal nor his false god. They had not received his mark on the front of their heads nor on their hands. They became alive again and they ruled as kings with Christ for 1000 years. v5 This is the first time for this. It is the first time that God caused many people to become alive again. None of the other dead people became alive again until the 1000 years had finished. v6 The people who will become alive again during that first time will be very happy! They are God’s own people. The second death has no power over them. They will be *priests to *serve God and Christ. And they will rule with Christ for 1000 years.

God sends *Satan into the lake of fire

v7 When the 1000 years have passed, God will let *Satan go out of his prison. v8 *Satan will go to people in countries all over the world, the countries that they call Gog and Magog. He will make them believe him. He will tell them what is not true. And *Satan will bring them together to fight a war. There are very many of his people, as many as the bits of sand on the sea’s shore. v9 They went across the whole earth. And they arrived at the city that God loves. Then they stood all round the place where God’s people were living. But fire came down from *heaven and it destroyed them. v10 The *Devil had caused them to believe him. He had told them what is not true. So God threw the *Devil into that same lake of fire and *sulphur. It was that same lake where the *Lord had already thrown the strange animal and the false *prophet. The fire there will cause them a lot of pain and trouble all day and all night. It will never finish.

God decides what is fair for the dead people

v11 Then I saw a very big white *throne. God was sitting on it. The earth and the sky rushed away from where he was. And I could not see them any more. v12 Then I saw the dead people. They were standing in front of the *throne. All the powerful and important people were there. And all those people who were not powerful were there too. Then someone opened the books. In these books, God had written all the things that the people had done. Then someone opened yet another book where God had written people’s names. This book included the names of everyone who will live with God always. Then God decided what was fair for the dead people. He decided because of what they had done.

v13 The sea brought up all the dead people who were in it. And death and Hades, that place for dead people, brought up all the dead people who were there. God decided what was fair for each person. He decided because of what they had done. v14 Then God threw death and Hades into that same lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. v15 God threw people into the lake of fire if he did not find their names in his book. Only those people with their names in his book will live with God.

Chapter 21

The new *heaven and the new earth

v1 Then I saw a new *heaven and a new earth. The first *heaven and the first earth had gone, and the sea was not there any more. v2 I saw God’s city, which is called New Jerusalem. It was coming down out of *heaven from God. The city was ready, like a woman who is wearing beautiful clothes for her marriage. She is ready to meet the man that she is going to marry.

v3 And then I heard someone speak loudly from the *throne. ‘Now God’s home is with human *beings!’ he said. ‘God will live among them and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and he will be their God. v4 Their eyes were wet because they have cried. But God will make them happy. He will cause their eyes to be dry. Nobody will ever die or be sad again. Nobody will ever cry. Nobody will ever have pain again. Everything bad has gone. Everything that belonged to the old world has gone.’

v5 Then God, who was sitting on the *throne, spoke. ‘I am making everything new!’ he said. ‘Write this down, because these words are true. Everyone can believe them’, he said to me. v6 Then he spoke again. ‘It is finished!’ he said. ‘I am first and I am last. I cause all things to begin and I cause the end of all things. I will give water to everyone who needs to drink. My water comes up, like a stream comes up from the ground. My water causes people to be alive. And nobody will have to pay anything for it. v7 Everyone who goes on obeying Jesus will win the fight. They will receive all these things from me. And I will be their God and they will be my children. v8 But I will *punish all the other people. They include:

· People who are not brave

· People who do not believe in Jesus

· People who make themselves like very dirty people because they do very bad things

· People who do murders

· People who have sex with someone who is not their husband or their wife

· People who do *magic

· People who *worship false gods

· People who say what is not true

All these people will go into the lake that burns with fire and *sulphur. This lake is the second death.’

New Jerusalem city

v9 Then one of the 7 *angels with the 7 cups that were full of the 7 last troubles came to me. And he said: ‘Come with me! I will show you the woman who will be the *Lamb’s wife.’

v10 Then, while God’s Spirit was causing me to dream, the *angel carried me away. He took me to a very big, high mountain and he showed me God’s city, Jerusalem. The city was coming down out of *heaven from God. v11 It was shining with the very bright light that comes from God. The city shone like a very valuable stone. It shone with bright light, like a mirror. v12 It had a very big, high wall round it, with 12 gates. 12 *angels stood at the gates, one *angel at each gate. And someone had written a different name on each gate. They had written the names of the 12 family groups of Israel’s people. v13 There were three gates on each side of the city:

· Three gates were on the east side

· Three gates were on the north side

· Three gates were on the south side, and

· Three gates were on the west side.

v14 They had built the city’s wall on top of 12 very big stones. They had written the name of one of the *Lamb’s 12 special workers on each big stone.

v15 The *angel who talked to me had a long gold stick. He used it to measure things. So he could measure the city and its gates and its wall. v16 The city was square. It was as long as it was wide. The *angel measured the city with his stick. It was 12 000 furlongs (2400 kilometres) long. And it was as wide and as high as it was long. v17 He also measured its wall. The wall was 144 cubits (66 metres) high (or thick). People use numbers like these to measure things. And the *angel used the same numbers to measure with.

v18 The wall was stone that shone with light, like a mirror. And the city was gold, of the very best kind. The light shone through it, as light shines through glass. v19 The big stones that were holding up the city’s wall were very valuable stones. These valuable stones were different colours, so they were very beautiful. They were 12 different valuable stones:

· Yellow, brown and green jasper

· Blue sapphire

· Green agate

· Dark green emerald

v20 Red onyx

· Dark red carnelian

· Yellow quartz

· Green beryl

· Yellow topaz

· Yellow-green chrysoprase

· Dark blue jacinth

· Blue-red amethyst

v21 The 12 gates were 12 *pearls. Each gate was from one separate *pearl. The city’s biggest street was gold, of the very best kind. The light shone through it, as light shines through glass.

v22 The *Lord God, who has all authority, and the *Lamb, are there in the city. Nobody needs to go to a special house to *worship them. So I saw no special house for people to *worship God in the city. v23 Also, the city does not need either the sun or the moon to shine on it. The very bright light that comes from God gives it light. The *Lamb is its light.

v24 The people in all the world’s countries will live in the city’s light. And the earth’s rulers will bring all their valuable things into the city. v25 Nobody will ever shut the city’s gates because it will always be day. There will be no night there. v26 They will bring beautiful and valuable things into the city from every country. v27 But nothing that is bad or dirty can ever go into the city. Nobody who does what makes people ashamed can go in there. Nobody who says what is not true can go in. Only those people with their names in the *Lamb’s book can go in there. They will live with God always.

Chapter 22

The river and the tree in the city

v1 Then the *angel showed me a river that was bright, like a mirror. Its water causes people to be alive. The river started from God’s *throne, which is the *Lamb’s *throne. v2 It came along the middle of the city’s biggest street. The tree, with fruit that causes people to be alive, was growing on each side of the river. This tree has 12 different groups of fruit. It has new fruit every month. The tree’s leaves are like medicine that makes people well in every country.

v3 No bad person, nor anything that God calls bad, will be in the city. But God’s *throne, which is the *Lamb’s *throne, will be in the city. And God’s servants will *worship him there. v4 They will see his face, and his name will be on the front of their heads. v5 There will be no more night, so nobody will need a light. They will not need the sun’s light, because the *Lord God will be their light. And they will always rule as kings.

v6 Then the *angel spoke to me. ‘All these words are true and everyone should believe them’, he said. ‘The *Lord is God and he gives his Spirit to the *prophets. He has sent his *angel to his servants. The *angel showed them what must happen soon.’

Jesus will come soon

v7 ‘Listen!’ Jesus says. ‘I will come quickly. Every person who obeys me will be happy! They must remember everything that this book describes.’

v8 I am John. I myself heard and saw all these things. I finished hearing them and seeing them. Then I bent down at the *angel’s feet to *worship him. I wanted to *worship the *angel because he had shown these things to me. v9 But he stopped me. ‘You must not do that!’ he said to me. ‘I am God’s servant, like you and the *prophets, who are like your brothers. Yes, I am a servant like everyone who obeys God. God’s servants do what this book says. So *worship only God!’

v10 Then he told me: ‘Do not keep the words in this book secret, because these things will happen very soon. v11 Let everybody continue as they choose. Everyone who does wrong things must continue to do wrong things. Everyone who is bad and dirty must continue to be bad and dirty. Everyone who does right things must continue to do right things. Everyone who is God’s is clean and good. They must continue to keep clean and to be good.’

v12 ‘Listen! I will come quickly!’ Jesus says to us. ‘And I will give each person what they ought to have. They will receive this because of what they have done. v13 I am first and I am last. I cause all things to begin and I cause the end of all things. v14 Those people who believe me keep themselves clean. They are like people who always wash their clothes. They will be happy. I will let them eat the fruit from my tree. That fruit causes people to be alive. And I will let them go through the gates into the city. v15 But these people must stay outside the city:

· People who like to do what is bad

· People who do *magic

· People who have sex with someone who is not their husband or their wife

· People who do murders

· People who *worship false gods

· Everyone who enjoys saying what is not true. And everyone who enjoys doing what is not honest.

v16 I am Jesus. I have sent my *angel to tell you these things. You must tell them to all the people in the *churches. I caused David to be alive long ago, and I am David’s grandson. I am the bright morning star.’

v17 God’s Spirit and all God’s people tell Jesus: ‘Come!’ God’s people are like a woman who waits to marry Jesus. Everyone who hears them should also say to Jesus: ‘Come!’ Anyone who needs to drink should come to Jesus. He will give water to anyone who wants it. They will not have to pay anything for it. This water causes people to be alive.

v18 I am John, and I say this strongly. I am speaking to everyone who hears the words in this book. If anyone puts more words with the words in this book, God will *punish them. The troubles that this book describes will happen to them. v19 And if anyone takes away from the words in this book, God will *punish them. He will not let them eat the fruit from his tree. That fruit causes people to be alive. God will not let them live in his city either. This book describes all these things.

v20 The person who tells us all these messages is Jesus. ‘Yes, I will come quickly’, he says. This must happen! Come, *Lord Jesus!

v21 I pray to the *Lord Jesus for all God’s people. I pray that he will continue to be very kind to you.